Electronic device having a display and method for manufacture

ABSTRACT

A method of making a device housing involves providing a transparent lens with a front surface and a rear surface, and a stepped flange along at least a portion of the lens perimeter. The method includes injecting plastic onto the transparent lens perimeter, including the stepped flange, the plastic forming a plastic feature that has a front surface that is tangent to the front surface of the transparent lens, a rear surface that is tangent to the rear surface of the transparent lens, and that extends outward from the sides of the transparent lens away from a device width center line. The plastic feature is molded to the rear surface of the transparent lens at at least one of two ends of the device housing, and the plastic encapsulates a stepped middle surface of the transparent lens flange. A device housing that is made by this method is also included.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of, and claims priority to, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/136,470, filed on Dec. 20, 2013, entitled“Electronic Device Having a Display and Method for Manufacture”, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/769,133, filedFeb. 25, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/769,129, filed Feb.25, 2013, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/769,131, filed Feb. 25,2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/769,135, filed Feb. 25,2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND

It is becoming increasingly difficult to manufacture portable electronicdevices including a battery and a display that are relatively compact,structurally robust, and take advantage of the largest available viewingarea.

In portable electronic devices, displays are frequently laminated totransparent cover lenses to improve optical performance and create amechanical bond between the two parts. Since this bond is present overthe entire viewing area of the display, it provides enough mechanicalretention to eliminate the need for retaining the sides of the displayby any other mechanisms. Thus, on either side of the display, one simplyneeds to have a thin cosmetic housing to cover the side of the display.However, in attempting to use a minimally thin cosmetic housing to coverthe edge of the display, one encounters the problem of finding anappropriate connection mechanism between this cosmetic housing and otherhousings in the portable device that would not itself increase thedevice's size.

Further complicating the search for a viable connection mechanism is thedesire for reduced device thickness to improve user comfort when thedevice is in use or being transported.

With regard to methods of making a transparent lens and plastic housingfor a device, traditionally, the process of insert molding includesplacing a stiff metal insert into an injection molding tool and thenmolding plastic features around the metal part. When complete, theplastic should be well integrated in the original metal part. Recently,advancements have been made in mold quality permitting pieces of glassor different transparent material to be used as the “insert” such thatcomplex three-dimensional plastic geometry may be integrated with asheet of transparent material.

In a portable device, it is desirable for the transparent cover lensover the display to be integrated with overmolded plastic features, butthis disadvantageously creates limitations as to the potential geometryfor the glass or transparent insert. Over the viewing area of thedisplay, one desires the transparent cover lens to be substantially thinand flat to result in an undistorted image and a small size for thefinished device. Additionally, one desires that this cover lens also beas narrow and short as possible so that the resulting device is aminimal size. Conversely, the glass or transparent insert mold processprefers a large amount of material beyond the display to improve thebond between plastic and glass or different transparent material andensure that the overmolded plastic does not detach from the transparentinsert in the finished product.

With regard to supporting transparent, and particularly glass, elementsin a display device, portable electronic devices are exposed to frequentmechanical shocks over their lifespan, which can lead to displayfailures. Such displays are often laminated to a thick transparent coverlens, but the displays themselves are typically constructed usingmultiple sheets of thin glass, leaving them susceptible tobreakage—especially at the edges of the glass sheets. Additionally,these thin sheets of glass often do not have matching widths or lengthsas compared to other elements or housings, which may create a “ledge” ofunsupported glass. The unsupported thin glass ledge acts as a cantileverif the device experiences mechanical shock, and is a potential source ofdisplay failures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying Figures, where like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally similar elements throughout the separateviews, together with the detailed description below, serve to furtherillustrate embodiments set forth in this disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an electronic device;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the electronic device according toFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective exploded view of the electronic deviceaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear exploded perspective view of the electronic deviceaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a lens that may be used in thedevice according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a bottom end cross-sectional view illustrating a slice of thelens taken along the plane 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7A is an enlarged side view illustrating a cross sectional view ofthe lens edge flange according to FIG. 6;

FIG. 7B is an enlarged side view illustrating a cross sectional view ofthe lens edge flange according to FIG. 6 with ink, adhesive, andoleophobic coating;

FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a lens housing including the lensaccording to FIGS. 5-7 for the front of the electronic device accordingto FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional bottom end view illustrating a slice of thelens housing taken along plane 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view illustrating a cross sectional view of thelens housing including the edge flange according to FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of manufacture;

FIGS. 12A-D are cross sectional views of injection molding processsteps;

FIG. 12E is an exploded view of the injection molding tool;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a slice of the lenshousing and display laminate taken along plane 13-13 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a section of the lens housing and displaylaminate according to various embodiments of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged side cross sectional view illustrating a priorart cross section of lens housing including a transparent lens andmolded wall;

FIG. 16 is a side cross sectional view of a lens and display laminateaccording to the prior art;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged side cross sectional view of a lens and displaylaminate according to the prior art;

FIG. 18 is a rear orthogonal view illustrating the lens housing anddisplay laminate including a display with integrated touch screen sensoraccording to FIG. 11;

FIG. 19 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a slice of the lenshousing and display laminate taken along line 19-19 of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged illustration of two sections of the lens housingand display laminate according to FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged side cross sectional view illustrating an end ofa lens housing according to one embodiment;

FIG. 22A is an enlarged side cross sectional view illustrating an end ofa lens housing according to an alternate embodiment;

FIG. 22B is a perspective cross sectional view illustrating an end of alens housing;

FIG. 23 is a rear orthogonal view illustrating the lens housing withouta support structure, but with a mesh and gasket assembly;

FIG. 24 is a rear orthogonal view illustrating the lens housing with asupport structure, but without a mesh and gasket assembly;

FIG. 25 is a rear orthogonal view illustrating the lens housing with amesh and gasket assembly inserted;

FIG. 26 is a rear orthogonal view illustrating the lens housing anddisplay laminate;

FIG. 27 is an enlarged rear view illustration of a top section of thelens housing and display laminate according to FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is an enlarged rear view illustration of a bottom section of thelens housing and display laminate according to FIG. 26;

FIGS. 29-31 are right side perspective view diagrams illustratingassembly of the device according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 32 is a right side perspective view of a dovetail protrusion on theplastic side wall;

FIG. 33 is a right side perspective view of a dovetail cut in theinternal chassis assembly;

FIG. 34 is a right side perspective view of the dovetail protrusionbeing placed, in an assembly step, into the dovetail cut to assemble theplastic side wall with the internal chassis assembly;

FIG. 35 is a side view of an exemplary pin having a retaining feature onits shaft;

FIG. 36 is a side view of an exemplary pin without a retaining featureon its shaft;

FIG. 37 is a right side perspective view of the assembled the plasticside wall and internal chassis assembly with the pin inserted;

FIG. 38 is a bottom cross sectional view of a section of the deviceaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 39 is an enlarged bottom cross sectional view of a section of thedevice according to FIG. 38;

FIG. 40 is another bottom cross sectional view of a section of thedevice according to FIG. 1 showing a retaining finger;

FIG. 41 is an enlarged bottom cross sectional view of a section of thedevice according to FIG. 40;

FIG. 42 illustrates one embodiment of UV curing of the optically clearadhesive during the assembly of the laminated display and lens housingwith an opaque ink mask present; and

FIG. 43 is another embodiment of UV curing of the optically clearadhesive during the assembly of the laminated display and lens housingwithout an ink mask.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the Figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements inthe Figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help toimprove understanding of various embodiments disclosed herein.

The apparatus and method components have been represented whereappropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing thespecific details that are pertinent to understanding the variousembodiments and not obscuring the disclosure with details that will bereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having thebenefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding ofthe embodiments disclosed herein. However, it will be apparent to oneskilled in the art that these embodiments can be practiced without thesespecific details. In some instances, structures and devices are shown inblock diagram form for the sake of conciseness.

The embodiments described herein can minimize device thickness, since ascrew head, when using screws, can increase the device width by the headthickness, and can enhance reliability over snaps, which can loosen overtime, have limited directional constraints, and can disengage uponmechanical shock. They can allow excellent serviceability over heatstakes that also require clearance for heat stake heads and avoid theneed for special equipment and design efforts. Finally, they also allowexcellent serviceability over glue and do not require the specialequipment or complex process control that glue requires. Theseembodiments have great mechanical reliability and allow creation ofrobust attachment features over 3D formed glass or other transparentmaterial, and have higher mechanical strength and less likelihood ofscratching over the viewing area of the display over clear plastichousings.

Using the process of insert-molding plastic over the transparent coverlens, plastic details can be integrated directly onto the transparentmaterial. This allows the transparent cover lens to be sized smallerthan the display, but use the plastic overmold to keep the display edgesprotected during manufacturing and in the finished device. Byundersizing the cover lens and eliminating the need for a traditionaldevice housing to display/cover lens assembly bond (replaced by thein-mold bond of plastic to glass or other type of transparent material),the process is capable of producing a smaller, more reliable portabledevice.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a transparent lens and differingplastic material housing include a transparent lens including a frontsurface, a rear surface, and a perimeter edge, the perimeter edgeincluding a flange, a plastic housing affixed to the perimeter edgeflange having a different material than the transparent lens, a portionthat is tangent to the front surface of the transparent lens, and aportion that is tangent to the rear surface of the transparent lens.

The transparent lens can be made of glass or can be made of a durabletransparent plastic material that differs from the material of the sidewalls to which it is attached. As described herein, when the transparentlens is made of plastic, it is to be understood that this constitutes adifferent material than the plastic used in the side walls.

In an embodiment, a display housing assembly is provided. The displayhousing assembly has a transparent portion and a plastic portion, andincludes a transparent lens having a front surface, rear surface, andperimeter edge. The perimeter edge includes a flange. A plastic sidewall of the plastic portion is affixed to the flange. The plasticsidewall has a front surface portion that is co-planar with the frontsurface of the transparent lens; and a rear surface portion that isco-planar with the rear surface of the transparent lens. Thisconfiguration forms front and rear planar surfaces, each of which hasboth transparent material and plastic. The assembly further including adisplay that is affixed to the rear planar surface using a displayadhesive.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a device housing assembly has adisplay module including a front pane that may be transparent and a rearpane that may be transparent, the rear pane having a section longer thanthe front pane in at least one direction. The housing assembly furtherhas a transparent lens and plastic housing, the transparent lens havinga front and rear surface; and an adhesive between the front pane and therear surface of the transparent lens. The housing includes a supportstructure molded to the rear surface of the transparent lens positionedproximally to the longer section of the rear pane and adjacent to thefront pane, the structure providing mechanical support for the rearpane.

Another embodiment of the disclosure is a thin cosmetic housing havingdovetail features that assemble in a linear direction to an internalstructural housing. The housing has cutouts to accept the dovetailfeatures, thus constraining the cosmetic and structural housings in twoaxes.

In assembling the housing, once the dovetail features are aligned, a pinis inserted through a hole in each dovetail perpendicular to thedirection of dovetail assembly and into a hole in the structuralhousing. These pins constrain the cosmetic and structural housings inthe third and final axis. Finally, a second thin cosmetic housing issnapped into snap holes on each dovetail of the first cosmetic housingwhich engage in the direction of the third axis. This housing fullycovers the pins inserted previously which results in a better appearanceof the finished device and prevents the pins from backing out far enoughto disengage should they loosen over time. The attachment system resultsin a reduced width and thickness of the finished device

More specifically, the housing comprises a first housing component witha plurality of dovetail protrusions, at least one dovetail protrusion ofthe plurality having a first pin hole through a thickness of theprotrusion, and a second housing component with a plurality of matchingdovetail cuts, at least one dovetail cut containing a second pin hole.The housing further has a plurality of pins. The first housing componentis mated in a linear direction with the second housing component witheach dovetail protrusion aligned to each dovetail cut. The first housingcomponent and second housing component are pressed together to align thefirst pin holes axially with the second pin holes, and the pins areinserted axially through each axially aligned first pinhole and secondpin hole.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, a method of making a device housinginvolves providing a transparent lens with a front surface and a rearsurface, and a stepped flange along at least a portion of the lensperimeter. The method includes injecting plastic onto the transparentlens perimeter, including the stepped flange, the plastic forming aplastic feature that has a front surface that is tangent to the frontsurface of the transparent lens, a rear surface that is planar with therear surface of the transparent lens, and that extends outward from thesides of the transparent material away from a device width center line.The plastic feature is molded to the rear surface of the transparentlens at at least one of two ends of the device housing, and the plasticencapsulates a stepped middle surface of the transparent lens flange. Adevice housing that is made by this method is also included in anembodiment.

An electronic display device 100 including a display is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 includes a reference coordinate system that isreferred to below, indicating left and right sides of the device 100(from a user's perspective when holding the device), top and bottomsides (or ends) (the top being the side generally away from the groundduring normal use, and the bottom being the side generally toward theground during normal use), and front and rear sides (the front being theside facing a user during normal use, and the rear side being the sidefacing away from a user during normal use).

The electronic device 100 may be any portable electronic deviceincluding a display, and may for example be a cellular phone, a smartphone, an internet device, a music player, or any other device thatincludes a display that can advantageously employ the lens, display,laminated display assembly and/or housing assembly disclosed herein.Additionally, the mobile smartphone features of the communication device100 illustrated herein are provided by way of example, and are in no wayintended to be limiting, nor essential to the lens housing, display, orlaminated display assembly, described and claimed herein.

The electronic display device 100 includes a lens housing with laminateddisplay 102. The lens housing with laminated display 102 isadvantageously manufactured as described in greater detail herein below.Speaker port 108 and a microphone port 110 openings allowingunobstructed access to a device speaker and microphone respectively arelocated at opposite ends of a display window 104 through which a usercan view a display carried in the electronic device 100. The illustrateddisplay device may include a forward facing camera 112 and an electricalconnector port 114 for accessing circuitry within the housing. Forexample, the port 114 may accommodate a connector, such as a maleconnector, and may for example be of a commercially available connector,such as a universal serial bus (USB) connector, a mini USB, a micro USB,or other any other suitable connector.

The electronic display device 100 includes a rear housing 200 (FIG. 2).The rear housing 200 may include a rear microphone port 202, a rearspeaker port 204 and a rear facing camera 206 similar to those found onthe front of the device. Also illustrated in FIG. 2 is a removable cardaccess door 210 for insertion and removal of electronic cards, such as amemory card, a subscriber identity module (SIM), or any other removablecard that can be advantageously employed in the electronic device.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the electronic display device 100is illustrated with the housing components exploded, and moreparticularly is illustrated from each of the front and rear perspectiveviews, respectively. The lens housing with laminated display 102 ismanufactured as will be described in greater detail herein below. Aninternal chassis 304 is positioned behind the lens housing. The chassismay be manufactured from any suitable material, providing support forthe housing, and may be metal, plastic or a suitable composite material,and may for example be stamped or die cast of any suitable metal, suchas aluminum or a steel, or formed from a composite non-metal material,or molded plastic. The chassis 304 is advantageously a metal chassishaving plastic overmolded sections in some areas of the chassis adjacentto which antennas will be positioned when the housing is fullyassembled.

A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly 306 is positioned adjacent thechassis 304 when the device 100 is assembled. The PCB assembly 306includes a circuit board on which electronic components are assembled,as is known in the art. The electronic components include circuitrynecessary to the operation of the display device 100, as is well knownin the art, which may also include circuitry for handling input of atouch screen component of the display (touch screen sensor). The PCB maybe positioned completely within the chassis perimeter. The PCB mayalternately be stacked onto the chassis 304 with electrical componentsattached to the PCB positioned inside the chassis. A top antenna housing308 is attached to the chassis. The antenna housing 308 may bemanufactured by any suitable means, and may for example be molded withplatable resin to create a desired antenna geometry. A bottom antennahousing 310 is also attached to the chassis in the example device. Thebottom antenna housing may also be advantageously molded with platableresin to create a desired antenna geometry. The top and bottom antennahousings 308, 310, clamp the PCB assembly 306 to the chassis 304 usingsuitable fasteners, such as screws 309, clips (not shown), or the like.In the illustrated example, screws 309 may be screwed into chassis 304or the printed circuit board assembly 306.

The device 100 is also illustrated to include a card tray 320 forholding one or more of a memory and/or SIM card. The card tray 320 mayfor example be an insert molded plastic and metal tray for holding theSIM card. The card tray 320 slides into card bay 322. The card bay isassembled onto the PCB assembly 306.

The device 100 also includes a battery 312 behind the PCB assembly 306.

Pins 311 may be advantageously employed for assembling the electronicdevice, as will be described in greater detail herein below. The pins311 may be manufactured from any suitable material, such as stainlesssteel, aluminum, another metal, plastic, or a composite material. Thepins 311 are for insertion into the internal chassis 304 as will bedescribed in greater detail herein.

The rear housing 200 may be manufactured from a composite material, suchas an insert molded plastic, integrally bonded to a composite material,during a molding process. The composite material may be a sheet formedto the intended three dimensional shape of the rear housing, to providea curved surface that is pleasant to hold, fitting comfortably in a handwhen held. This shape may have a curvature in both the left-to-rightside direction as well as a top-to-bottom end direction, where thecurvature comprises the entire right-to-left direction and/or the entiretop-to-bottom direction. Alternately, it may have a flat portion in oneor both directions, where curved portions extend only near the edgeregions.

With reference to FIG. 4, a card bay stiffener 402 is provided for thecard access opening through which card tray 320 is inserted andretrieved from card bay 322. The card bay stiffener may for example bemanufactured from metal, and secured using screws 404 affixed througheach end of the stiffener 402. The screws 404 may be affixed to thechassis 304, the PCB 306, or the housing 102. The card access slot 406is illustrated molded into the lens housing side wall for access to thecard tray.

A transparent lens 500 (FIG. 5) includes a viewing window 104, which isa transparent region of the lens for alignment with the active pixels ofthe display. The perimeter of the window may be defined by an opaque ink504, which is a layer applied to the back of the lens 500. The ink isnot applied to the viewing window 104, circumscribing or extending alonga portion of the window 104.

As can be seen in FIGS. 5-7B, a stepped flange 540 extends along themajority of the sides, top and bottom edge perimeter 510 of the lens.The flange 540, may be continuous around the entire perimeter 510 of thelens 500, or excluded in strategic areas to prevent damage to the lensif the device 100 is dropped or otherwise subjected to a shock. In FIG.5, the example lens 500 does not include a flange 540 at the fourcorners of the lens, to help avoid breakage at these corners in theevent the device is dropped at certain angles of impact.

FIG. 6 is a bottom end cross section view of the lens 500 along line 6-6shown in FIG. 5, and showing the perimeter 510 and flange 540.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are zoomed regions of the cross-section view of FIG. 6.FIG. 7B is identical to that shown in FIG. 7A, but with the addition ofan adhesive layer 1401 and oleophobic coating 523. In FIG. 7A, ink layer504 can be seen along with detail of the flange 540. In an embodiment,the edge portion 510 comprises three chamfers 544, 546, and 548. Theflange portion 540 itself may be bounded by two chamfers 546, 548, witha straight/flat surface 550 between. An inside corner radial geometry542 may separate the bottom chamfer 544 from the first chamfer 546bounding the flange 540. The transparent lens flange 540 thus has astepped geometry. The machined step in the transparent material providesan increased bond surface area. The chamfers 544, 546, and 548 areapplied to all sharp corners of the transparent material to removemicroscopic edge cracks from the cutting process and assist withmolding. A machined radial geometry at 542 can be advantageouslyemployed on the inside corner to reduce stress concentrations caused bythe otherwise abrupt geometry change that would occur if the corner weresquare.

With reference to FIG. 7B, the flange surface to be bonded with theplastic during molding can include a joint adhesive 1401. The adhesiveis deposited by spraying, printing, or otherwise dispensing, on theflange 540, chamfers 544, 546, 548, inside corner radial geometry 542,and flange plane/flat surface 550 of the transparent lens. The adhesiveimproves the bond strength between the plastic and the transparentmaterial. Additionally, ink 504, is optionally included on the backsurface of the lens. The lens may include an oleophobic coating 523 onthe exterior surface. This surface can be a nano coating applied to thefront surface of the lens to lower the surface energy of the transparentmaterial and resist deposition of oils on the transparent materialsurface. Such materials are commonly referred to as anti-smudge oranti-fingerprint coating. This coating will prevent the joint adhesive1401 from sticking to the front plane of the transparent material.

The flange 540 is disclosed as having three generally parallel planes.The rear plane 522 is the back surface of the transparent material onwhich the ink 504 decoration is printed and to which a display 1200 islaminated. The rear plane 522 has, in the past, had plastic bonded toglass around the entire perimeter of the lens. Various embodiments donot bond plastic to this plane of transparent material along the sidesof the display, thus permitting a narrowing of the device widthnecessary to accommodate the display and enhancing the edge-to-edgedisplay experience for the user. The intermediate plane 524 of thetransparent material, which may be located at approximately the centerof the lens thickness half way between the front and rear surfaces,serves to improve the mechanical bond between plastic and transparentmaterial on the sides of the part without the need for plastic extendingover the rear plane of the transparent material. The front plane 526 oftransparent material is exposed to the user on the finished product andthis surface does not have any plastic molded onto it. The display isviewed through this front surface of the transparent lens.

The lens housing 800 (illustrated in FIGS. 8-10) of lens housing withlaminated display 102, includes the transparent lens 500 integrallymolded with the lens housing side wall 902. The lens 500 is insertmolded with the lens perimeter plastic to create the desired geometryfor the front lens housing, including a plastic rim integrally bonded tothe transparent lens.

With reference to FIG. 10, in the molding process, the transparent lens500 is inserted prior to molding the plastic portion 900 that includesthe plastic side wall 902, and is integrally bonded after the plasticresin is added and cured. When the molding process is completed, theflange 540 geometry facilitates the plastic 902 forming smoothlytangential to both the front 526 and rear 522 planes of the transparentlens 500. Although tangential could mean co-planar if both surfaces areflat, it also means “continuous” if the surfaces are curved, such thatthe surface is smooth at a location at which they meet. The plastichousing fills in the chamfer geometry 544, 546, 548, as well as theinner corner radial geometry 542, to create flush, consistent surfacesacross the transitions from the transparent lens 500 to the plastic sidewalls 902. No gaps are visible to a user, who will see at most a finelydefined single line where transparent material 500 to plastic 902transition occurs. A plastic feature 960 created in the process isdescribed in more detail below.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart that illustrates the basic procedures in theassembly, according to an embodiment. The transparent lens 500 isinitially created S100, and (optionally) an oleophobic coating isapplied to the lens S110. Adhesive is applied to the edge of thetransparent lens S120. Then, plastic is injected onto the lens perimeterS130 (illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 12A-12E). Optically clearlight-curable resin 1403 is applied to the lens rear surface 522 S140,and the display module 1200 is placed on the resin 1403. Front 4000 andrear 4010 optical sources are then used to cure the resin S160 (seeFIGS. 42 and 43).

FIGS. 12A-12E illustrate this assembly process. In FIG. 12A an injectionmolding tool (injection mold) 1100 comprises a top portion 1102 and abottom portion 1110. The top portion 1102 has the transparent lens 500placed in it. The bottom portion of the mold 1110 is brought intocontact with the top portion 1102, as shown in FIG. 12B, and then, asshown in FIG. 12C, the plastic portion 900 is injected into the mold1100. When the mold 1100 is separated, the integrated transparent lens500 and plastic portion 900 is formed. FIG. 12 E is an exploded view ofthe mold portions 1102, 1110 and the transparent material/plastic 500,900 assembly. The holes 108, 110 may be utilized so that the transparentlens 500 can be accurately located in an injection molding tool 1100.

With reference to FIGS. 13-14, the display module 1200 includes a rearglass (glass for the display, as defined herein, can also include othertypes of transparent material, such as plastic, etc. of sufficientstrength and durability) 1205, a front glass 1201, and a polarizer 1203.A display 1200 is laminated to an inside surface of the front lenshousing 800 using liquid Optically Clear Resin (OCR) 1403. The OCR 1403is dispensed on the lens 500 or display 1200, and the lens and displayare then bonded together. The OCR 1403 flows out from the viewing areaand up the sides of this display module 1403 a to form a soft OCRcushion. The adhesive cushion 1403 is thus formed using overflow fromthe lamination process. The liquid adhesive 1403 permanently laminatesthe display module to the front lens. As illustrated, the polarizer 1203and the front glass 1201 contact the optically clear resin (OCR) 1403.The display active pixel perimeter is illustrated by line 1202. Themolding process employed permits the display 1200 to be located in veryclose proximity to the side wall 902, and thus permitting the activepixels to be positioned very close to the outer edge. Additionally, theflanged edge structure 540 is particularly advantageous foraccommodating the curved outer surface of the front lens housing withminimal spacing between the side wall 902 and the active pixels of thedisplay.

FIG. 14 includes two embodiments. A first includes no ink 504 on therear surface 522 of the transparent lens 500. When this is the case, thefront surface boundary defining a front housing plastic-transparentmaterial transition 530′ may extend further than an embodiment where theink 504 is present and where the front surface boundary defines a fronthousing plastic-transparent material transition 530 that is closer tothe device edge. The ink 504 can be applied to the rear surface 522 ofthe lens 500 along the side walls, such that the ink will frame theentire window 104 (FIG. 1). By not including ink along the side walls,the housing frames the viewing window 104, the edge-to-edge appearanceis maintained, the cost of applying ink is not incurred, and applicationof UV light through the front lens has better access to the OCR 1403 forcuring during the assembly process (described in more detail below).

With reference to FIG. 15, prior art molding includes a side wall 902and transparent lens 500. In order to make the bond surface larger, alarge plastic arm 1506 extends out into the transparent materialsurface. The arm 1506 creates a large surface area that blocks theviewing area of the display, and increases the size of the bezel aroundthe display. As a consequence, the size of the housing for a givendisplay must be larger in the prior art than is possible in the flangeembodiment described herein.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate further limitations of the prior art. Theflat lens 500 and display laminate 1200 uses opaque ink 504, and thearea behind the lens that accommodates the plastic arm 1506 required formolding can be seen to be quite large. The active pixels are movedfurther in, creating a greater gap between the active pixels and theouter perimeter of the device, than can be achieved with theconstruction described herein. Unlike the present disclosure, the outeredge of the lens in the prior art extends past the edge of the displaymodule, thus increasing the width of the device.

FIGS. 18-20 illustrate the display and front housing section laminate102. The back of the display includes display circuitry 2104 (FIG. 21)which is shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 19 shows the side cross-sectional viewillustrating an expanded full view of the lens and display laminate 102.As can be seen from FIG. 20, along the top of the device 100, thedisplay 1200 extends to the plastic housing 902 along the top wall. Thebottom of the display shows a gap 2002 which is a tolerance of thedisplay within the housing. Alternatively, the OCR may overflow and becured 1403 a. The gap may or may not get filled when the OCR 1403overflows.

With reference to FIGS. 21 and 22, expanded cross sectional views of thelens housing and display laminate 102 and mesh and gasket assembly 2105is illustrated. The front housing display assembly includes displaydriver circuits 2104. A first embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 21. Thedisplay 1200 includes rear glass 1205, front glass 1201, and polarizer1203. The rear display glass 1205 in the embodiment of FIG. 21 extendspast the front display glass 1201 towards the device edge, and forms afragile cantilever 1234 over the air gap 1405.

Although a display includes other components and layers not specificallydescribed herein for brevity, the illustrated display includes circuits2104 which contains a display driver. A flex 2102 provides electricalconnection between components of circuit 2104 and the PCB 306. Thedisplay 1200 can be any conventional display, and may for example be aliquid crystal display, a light emitting diode display, an organic lightemitting display, an AMOLED, or any other conventional display.

When manufactured, as illustrated in FIG. 21, the OCR 1403 flows betweenthe lens 500 and the display front glass 1201 or polarizer 1203, forminga laminate by the permanent bond between the display and the front lens.The liquid adhesive 1403 is shown stopping at the edge of the frontglass 1201. However since it is liquid, and the flow may beuncontrolled, the OCR 1403 can potentially flow into and through the airgap 1405 or stop short of the edge of the front glass 1201. The air gap1405 exists between the front lens 500 and the glass display edgeincluding circuit 2104. Any liquid overflow into the air gap canpotentially interfere with the positioning of the speaker mesh andgasket 2105 in this embodiment. Additionally, as can be seen in FIG. 21,there is no physical guide to prevent mesh 2108 and gasket 2106 frombeing incorrectly positioned, such as being positioned too low on thetransparent lens (e.g., positioned offset from speaker opening 108, ortoo far away from the device edge). The display cushioning pad 1255 isalso shown.

With reference to FIG. 22A, an alternate embodiment includes a structure2202 molded into the lens housing 102. The structure 2202 is integrallymolded with the wall 902 and also along the back surface 522 of thetransparent lens 500 (shown in FIG. 22A) as part of the molding processwhen the lens housing is manufactured. The integrally molded structureis particularly advantageous. It permits the speaker mesh and gasket2105 to be placed accurately in the lens housing 102 during assembly ofthe device 100.

It also provides an integral dam, minimizing a flow of liquid adhesive1403, and thus minimizing the liquid flow onto the area for mesh andgasket assembly 2105. Contact between the liquid adhesive 1403 and themesh and gasket assembly 2015 can be minimized while still allowing someliquid adhesive to fill the small gap because larger gaps may bedeliberately introduced in other locations, and thus the flow of theliquid 1403 is less restricted where the larger gaps exist. The bulk ofthe overflow will pool in the larger gap areas while a small amountpartially fills the small gap in cross section before meetingresistance.

The lens housing provides a seat for the mesh and gasket assembly 2105,such that it can be reliably located in the lens housing withoutinterference from the adhesive. The speaker opening 108 mesh and gasketassembly 2105 can thus be accurately positioned prior to displaylamination—allowing it to reside underneath the glass cantilever, ifdesired.

It is envisioned that the lens housing detail 2202 created during themolding process may follow the footprint of the display flex 2102 sothat it supports the ledge but never contacts glass of the display 1200,but only the flex 2102. However, direct support of the rear glass 1205is also possible and would offer similar advantages for reducing thecantilever condition found in the unsupported glass ledge of FIG. 21.

The housing support may also advantageously include a chamfered edge2212 (see also FIG. 22B) shaped such that liquid adhesive that is usedto laminate the display and lens will flow into and fill any small gapbetween the housing and the display ledge. The flex lead 2102 is thuswell supported and protected if device 100 is exposed to mechanicalshock.

FIG. 23 shows the lens assembly and mesh gasket assembly 2105 for thespeaker port according to FIG. 21, without the support structure. FIG.24 shows the lens housing including the support structure 2202 accordingto FIG. 22A, but not including the mesh gasket assembly 2105 for thespeaker port. FIG. 25 shows the lens housing with the mesh and gasketassembly 2105 inserted. The mesh and gasket assembly 2105 may bepositioned in the lens housing prior to display lamination, allowing themesh to be well positioned underneath the display. The added structure2202 prevents liquid adhesive from interfering with the speaker mesh andgasket 2105, preventing it from adhering to the rear of the lens orinadvertently sealing the audio port 108. In FIG. 23, nothing preventsmisassembly of the mesh gasket assembly towards the bottom of the lenshousing. This can lead to cosmetic problems visible through the acousticport 108 or blockage of the acoustic port. The structure 2202 present inFIGS. 24 and 25 prevents misassembly of the mesh gasket assembly byproviding a bottom edge against which to place the assembly.

The structure 2202 provides a precision height support for the display1200 when the display is positioned into the front lens housing duringassembly. The structure 2202 height can be controlled during molding, toprovide the appropriate seat for the display and display flex 2102bonded to the rear display glass 1200. As described above, the assemblymay include a cushioning pad 1255 adhered to the rear of the display forprotection from other parts of the device. The display driver 2104 is anintegrated circuit attached to the rear display glass as shown in theFIGS. 21 and 22. Liquid adhesive 1403 may fill the area around thedisplay driver and bond the lens 500, the housing 902, and flex 2102,and/or the rear display glass 1200. The lens housing preferably containssupport structure 2202 to prevent bending of the glass cantilever andcontain the liquid adhesive 1403.

FIGS. 26-28 illustrate the lens housing with laminated display 102. Thewalls 902 can provide plastic features to accurately align a displaymodule 1200 to the viewing window from the side. Additionally, edges2802 can be provided to align the display on the lens housing 102.

With reference to FIGS. 29-44, the housing assembly will now bedescribed. The illustrated lens housing with laminated display 102includes dovetail protrusions 940 along the side walls of lens housingwalls 902. The dovetail protrusions each include a snap hole 946 and apin hole 942 (best seen in FIG. 32). The dovetail protrusions alsocontain angled faces 940 a at each end of the protrusion. These angledfaces 940 a provide a significant advantage in that they prevent theplastic sidewall 902 from being able to rotate about theplastic-to-transparent lens bond.

The internal chassis 304 includes mating dovetail cuts 3302 (best viewedin FIG. 33) for each of the dovetail protrusions 942 in the lens housingassembly. These dovetail cuts include matching angled faces 3302 a ateach end of the cut to interface with the angled faces 940 a of thedovetail protrusions 940. To assemble, the dovetail protrusions 940 areslid into the dovetail cut 3302. The dovetail protrusions slide into thedovetail cuts in the internal chassis. The matching angled faces 940 a,3302 a prevent the side walls 902 of the lens housing 800 from beingable to move along the axis of the pin hole, thus preventing any torquefrom being exerted on the glue bond 1401 between the plastic housingflange 960 and transparent lens flange 540. When assembled, the pin hole942 in the dovetail protrusion aligns with pinhole 3303 in the dovetailcut 3302 of the internal chassis assembly 304. The cylindrical pin 311is inserted into the axially aligned pin holes. The pins hold thechassis on the front lens housing during assembly. The cylindrical pinmay include a retention feature 311 a (FIG. 35) or have a smooth bore asshown in FIG. 36.

FIGS. 29-41 illustrate the assembly of lens housing with laminateddisplay 102 to the internal chassis 304, and the final assembly of thedevice housing. The pins 311, 311′ are inserted into the pinholes whenthe pinholes are aligned as noted above. The pins 311 includingretention features 311 a to snap or press into the pinholes. The smoothbore pin 311′ is held by friction fit. Friction will be exerted on thepin 311′ when inserted into the pin holes due to the layers of glass,the liquid adhesive 1403, and the optional compressed pad 1255 (bestseen in FIGS. 39 and 41), causing the chassis to push out against thepin 311′ and hold it in place during assembly. The vertical stackincludes the PCB 306 assembly having shields 3902 positioned against therear glass 1205 and the battery 312.

The rear housing includes a composite insert 200 with integrally moldedplastic side walls 220. The side walls include snap fingers 222 (FIGS.40, 41) which engage the snap holes 946 in the lens housing dovetailfeature 940 to hold the rear housing on the lens housing with laminateddisplay assembly 102. Once assembled, the rear housing side walls 220cover the pins 311, 311′ and further prevent them from sliding out alongthe axis of original insertion as illustrated in FIGS. 38 and 39. Therear composite insert 200 is formed to the intended three-dimensionalshape for the rear housing. The rear housing holds the battery againstthe PCB assembly and the display module in the stack up. Additionally,adhesive (not shown) could be included between the rear housing and thebattery and or the chassis to secure the stack.

Display Lamination onto a Transparent Insert Molded Lens

The liquid optically clear resin (OCR) 1403 is dispensed between thelens 500 and the display assembly 1200 to bond the display to the frontlens. The OCR 1403 flows out from the viewing area and up the side walls902 between the display and the perimeter wall 902 of the lens assembly.This OCR 1403 forms a soft “cushion”. The adhesive cushion 1403 is thusformed using overflow from the lamination process. The liquid adhesive1403 permanently laminates the display module 1200 to the lens 500. Thedisplay in the illustrated example includes an integrated touch screensensor.

In a traditional display lamination (FIGS. 16 and 17) to flattransparent lens, lamination takes place to stand-alone glass withoutany plastic feature. As a result, the edge of the display module isexposed and may be damaged throughout additional manufacturing steps.Liquid adhesive may overflow past the edges of the display, but will notbe positioned to protect the side of the display consistently as variousembodiments described herein do.

In the prior art, the transparent lens 500 extends past the edge of thedisplay 1200 to provide a landing area for excess adhesive to flowduring lamination. This extended lens shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 increasesdevice size, whereas the flange 540 construction of the lens assemblyhousing 800 described herein avoids the extra width in the presentflange construction for both transparent material and plastic. In thepreferred embodiment, the transparent lens 500 is actually narrower thanthe display module 1200. FIG. 14 shows that to achieve this, the plasticside wall 902 forms a planar continuation 922 of the rear surface of thetransparent material 522 resulting in a single, planar displaylamination surface created partially by transparent material andpartially by plastic in the lens housing 800.

An additional benefit may be realized by adhesive overflow 1403 a tocoat the sides of the display module as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13. Sincethe more traditional display lamination of FIGS. 16 and 17 occursbetween two flat glass planes of the lens and display, there are nomechanical features to properly locate the display to the viewing windowof the lens. Proper locating requires specialized and costly opticalvision systems to align the viewing window of the lens to the activearea of the display. The walls 902 of the lens housing 800 can provide aguide for positioning the display 1200 without use of specializedequipment.

Traditional display lamination to a flat transparent lens uses liquidadhesive which is cured using ultraviolet light shined through theviewing window of the lens. A side ultraviolet light is then employed tocure the liquid adhesive that the front UV light cannot reach,specifically the areas where the front light sources are blocked by theopaque ink 504 on the lens 500.

In the present embodiment, the plastic side wall 902 prevents the use ofa side ultraviolet light for curing the OCR 1403. FIGS. 42 and 43 showtwo alternate ultraviolet light techniques that can be used to cure theOCR 1403 and permanently bond the display 1200 and transparent lens 500.

As shown in FIG. 42, the display polarizer 1203 (or possibly some otheropaque member of the display 1200) blocks light from the back of thedevice, and the opaque ink 504 blocks ultraviolet light from the frontof the device, such that a portion of the OCR 1403 behind the ink 504will not receive UV light for curing. According to the embodiment ofFIG. 43, the opaque ink 504 is omitted from the rear surface 522 alongthe sides of the transparent lens, and the housing defines the viewingwindow 104 along the side walls.

A rear ultraviolet light source 4010 may be used to cure the liquid OCR1403. The UV light can pass through the front 1201 and rear 1205 displayglass in areas where electronic circuitry is not present. The frontultraviolet light source 4000 is used through the clear transparent lens500 of the window 104. The OCR 1403 will cure (harden) where directexposure to ultraviolet light occurs. By using the flange plasticfeature 960 to define the viewing along the side walls 902, the need foropaque ink 504 printed on the rear surface 522 of the transparent lens500 is avoided on the side walls. UV light is allowed to fully cure theliquid adhesive 1403 from the front, and the overflow 1403 a is cured byUV light from the rear.

Finally, once the display lamination is complete, the edges of thedisplay are inherently protected by the molded plastic sidewalls 902 ofthe transparent lens insert 500 molded plastic throughout the rest ofmanufacturing unlike traditional fabrication methods which leave thefragile glass display 1200 edges substantially exposed throughoutshipping and until further manufacturing steps are completed.

The disclosed device 100 has several additional advantages over existingstructures. Side screws are avoided, the screw diameter increasingdevice thickness and the head thickness increasing device width. Snapsused alone loosen over time, provide limited directional constraints,and can disengage upon mechanical shock. Heat stakes provide poorserviceability, require clearance for heat steak heads, and use specialequipment. Glue alone offers poor serviceability and complex processcontrols.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of any or all the claims.

TABLE OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 100 electronic display device 200 rearhousing 500 transparent lens/glass or transparent material portion ofhousing (see below) 900 plastic (portion of) housing (see below) 1200 display module/display (see below) 100 electronic display device(101-299 misc. external components) 102 laminated display (housing 800 +display 1200) 104 display window 108 speaker port 110 microphone port112 forward facing camera 114 electrical connector port 150 device widthcenter line 200 rear housing/third housing component 202 rear microphoneport 204 rear speaker port 206 rear facing camera 210 removable cardaccess door 220 integrally molded side walls 222 finger (301-499 misc.internal components) 304 internal chassis assembly/second housingcomponent/ structural housing 306 printed circuit board (PCB) 308 topantenna housing 309 fasteners/screws 310 bottom antenna housing 311,311′ pins  311a retention feature  311b end of pin distal to cameracenter  311c head of pin 312 battery 320 card tray 322 card bay 402stiffener 404 screws 406 card access slot 500 transparent lens/glasstransparent material portion of housing 504 opaque ink 510 perimeteredge 522 rear surface 523 oleophobic coating 524 intermediate plane 526front surface 530 front surface boundary (inked lens); house plastic-transparent material front surface transition  530′ front surfaceboundary (non-inked lens); house plastic- transparent material frontsurface transition 532 rear surface boundary; house plastic- transparentmaterial rear surface transition 540 flange/stepped flange 542 insidecorner radial geometry 544, 546, chamfers 548 550 straight/flat surface;flange plane 800 lens assembly housing (without the display) 900 plastic(portion of) lens assembly housing/plastic housing/first housingcomponent/cosmetic housing 902 plastic side wall 904 plastic side wallinner surface 922 rear surface portion 926 front surface portion 930housing seat 940 dovetail protrusions  940a angled portions of dovetailprotrusions 942 first pin hole 946 snap hole 948 first pin hole surfacedistal from an end (311b) of the pin (311) distal to a camera center 950snap hole countersink 960 (flange) plastic feature 962 front surface 964rear surface 1100 injection molding tool/injection mold 1102 injectionmold top portion 1110 injection mold bottom portion 1200 displaymodule/display 1201  front glass (pane) 1202,  active pixel perimeterboundary 1202′  active pixel perimeter boundary projected ontotransparent lens 1203  polarizer 1205  rear glass (pane) 1230  end 1232 glass display edge/rear glass end 1233  front glass end 1234  rear glasssection that is longer than the front glass/cantilever 1239  closestpoint of front transparent pane to mesh and gasket assembly 1255 display cushioning pad/compressible pad Other 1401  joint adhesive 1403 display adhesive/optically clear resin (OCR) 1403a excess displayadhesive 1405  air gap 1506  large plastic arm 2002  gap 2102  flexibleprinted circuit 2103  location of flexible printed circuit bond to rearglass 2104  display driver integrated circuits (ICs) 2105  mesh andgasket assembly 2106  gasket 2108  mesh 2110  first edge of mesh andgasket assembly 2112  second edge of mesh and gasket assembly 2122 closest point of mesh and gasket assembly to the front pane of glass2202  support structure 2212  chamfered edge of support structure 2802 display alignment edges 3302  dovetail cut/recess 3302a angled portions3303  second pin hole 3902  shield 4000  front optical source 4010  rearoptical source S100- method steps S170

What is claimed is:
 1. A device housing comprising: a transparent lenscomprising: a front surface; a rear surface; and a stepped flange alongat least a portion of a perimeter of the lens; an optically clear resinon the rear surface of the transparent lens; a display module in contactwith the optically clear resin; and a plastic feature comprising: afront surface that is tangent to the front surface of the transparentlens; and a rear surface that is tangent to the rear surface of thetransparent lens, wherein: the plastic feature extends outward from thefront surface of the transparent lens and the rear surface of thetransparent lens, a first boundary between the front surface of thetransparent lens and the plastic feature is closer to a center line ofthe transparent lens than a second boundary between the rear surface ofthe transparent lens and the plastic feature, the plastic feature ismolded to the rear surface of the transparent lens at least one of twoends of the device housing, and the plastic feature encapsulates astepped middle surface of the stepped flange of the transparent lens. 2.The device housing of claim 1, further comprising a decorative ink onthe rear surface of the transparent lens.
 3. The device housing of claim1, wherein the decorative ink at least partially defines a viewing area.4. The device housing of claim 1, wherein a transition line between theplastic feature and the front surface of the transparent lens defines aviewing area of at least one edge of the display.
 5. The device housingof claim 4, wherein the transition line is closer to the device widthcenter line than a rear surface boundary of the plastic feature andtransparent lens.
 6. The device housing of claim 1, wherein the plasticfeature is made from a different material than the transparent lens. 7.The device housing of claim 1, wherein the front surface of the plasticfeature is co-planar with the front surface of the transparent lens, andthe rear surface of the plastic feature is co-planar with the rearsurface of the transparent lens.
 8. The device housing of claim 1,further comprising a rear housing engaged with the plastic feature. 9.The device housing of claim 8, wherein the rear housing comprises acomposite insert having a plurality of integrally molded side walls. 10.The device housing of claim 8, wherein the rear housing has a curvedsurface such that a thickness between the transparent lens and the rearsurface is greater along the center line than at a perimeter of thelens.
 11. The device housing of claim 1, further comprising anoleophobic coating on the front surface of the transparent lens.
 12. Anelectronic device, comprising: a circuit board; a battery; a transparentlens comprising: a front surface; a rear surface; and a stepped flangealong at least a portion of a perimeter of the lens perimeter; anoptically clear resin on the rear surface of the transparent lens; adisplay module in contact with the optically clear resin; a plasticfeature comprising: a front surface that is tangent to the front surfaceof the transparent lens; and a rear surface that is tangent to the rearsurface of the transparent lens, wherein: the plastic feature extendsoutward from the front surface of the transparent lens and the rearsurface of the transparent lens, and a first boundary between the frontsurface of the transparent lens and the plastic feature is closer to acenter line of the transparent lens than a second boundary between therear surface of the transparent lens and the plastic feature, theplastic feature is molded to the rear surface of the transparent lens atat least one of two ends of the device housing, and the plastic featureencapsulates a stepped middle surface of the stepped flange of thetransparent lens.
 13. The device housing of claim 12, further comprisinga decorative ink on the rear surface of the transparent lens.
 14. Thedevice housing of claim 12, wherein the decorative ink at leastpartially defines a viewing area.
 15. The device housing of claim 12,wherein a transition line between the plastic feature and the frontsurface of the transparent lens defines a viewing area of at least oneedge of the display.
 16. The device housing of claim 15, wherein thetransition line is closer to the device width center line than a rearsurface boundary of the plastic feature and transparent lens.
 17. Thedevice housing of claim 12, wherein the plastic feature is made from adifferent material than the transparent lens.
 18. The device housing ofclaim 12, wherein the front surface of the plastic feature is co-planarwith the front surface of the transparent lens, and the rear surface ofthe plastic feature is co-planar with the rear surface of thetransparent lens.
 19. The device housing of claim 18, further comprisinga rear housing engaged with the plastic feature, wherein the rearhousing has a curved surface such that a thickness between thetransparent lens and the rear surface is greater along the center linethan at a perimeter of the lens.
 20. The device housing of claim 12,further comprising an oleophobic coating on the front surface of thetransparent lens.